Memory
by Hwang-Mee-Kyong
Summary: "A painful separation that leaves you with nothing but an eternity of self-reproach..." Sometimes, an impediment such as death is not enough to tear two people apart.   KanameXTheHoodedWoman -Contains manga spoilers-
1. Chapter I: Why I Rarely Sleep

_Author's note: To avoid any confusion or plot gaps, I recommend my readers to have at least read chapter 64 in the Vampire Knight manga series. I really adore the story behind Kaname and The Hooded Woman, and would like to work with the original plot to make a story of my own. The following chapter is just a short opening to the story, so expect a longer and rather lengthy update for the next chapter. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy!_

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><p>"<em>You're a good boy, Kaname<em>," she breathed against his lips in the faintest of tones, her violet eyes half lidded under a fan of long flaxen eyelashes; much like the wise eyes of a doe. She held a mixture of comfort and dim gloom within her gentle gaze as her fingers feathered against his cheek, her other hand grasping at the horn of her horses saddle to keep herself securely mounted while she leaned down to his eyelevel. "_You'll work well, even when I'm not around you_," the woman spoke in hushed whispers, her words remaining only for his ears.

"_I intended it to be myself_," he responded in a firm voice, and suddenly, their surroundings seemed to fade away into nothingness, as if a final gust of wind had pushed away the pigment and lines that made up their setting. Even the image of the steed seemed to blur harshly when his eyes tried to focus on the creature. "_The least of my desires was to have you take that place_," he spoke, his maroon eyes, as well as his voice, hid any sense of emotion he had well as he reached a hand forward and brushed his fingertips against the side of her face, his eyes narrowing slightly to shield his pupils from the harsh white light that emitted from behind her. She didn't seem to reply to him, however. Instead, his only response from her was a gentle smile, the light beginning to rapidly intensifying until the white rays eventually consumed her whole image.

He closed his eyes tight for a moment as an attempt to block the harsh beams, but opened them to the unexpected image of an elaborate crimson bed canopy. Without much hesitation, Kaname sat up and found himself to have woken up in the middle of his bed, the sound of his clock ticking, and unnecessary shouting from Aidou down the hall signaling to him that it was time to get up and prepare himself to go to class. He allowed his lids to drift shut for another moment as long slender fingers began to drag through locks of his fine chestnut hair, pushing the tresses back only to have them fall back into their original place.

He was quietly reminding himself why he rarely slept.

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><p><em>Disclaimer: I do not claim any rights or ownership to the series Vampire Knight.<em>


	2. Chapter II: Turn of Events

_Author's note: Not as lengthy as I had anticipated, but I hope you all enjoy it nonetheless! I will be bringing in the hooded woman in the next chapter, and I really hope my portrayal of her will bring the character justice. Thanks for reading and please fav and review if you get the chance! _

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><p>"Thank you for coming in, Kaname."<p>

Flames from an imposing marble fireplace crackled deeply as its brilliant orange light uncovered an impressive collection of books flowing down the rows of oak bookcases. Upon the engraved mantelpiece, a framed picture of the extraordinarily cheerful headmaster with his two most trusted prefects sat beside the display of an ebonized silver-faced clock and various selections of differently sized frames of a wide-eyed brunette girl in assorted stages of her youth; quite fondly exhibited. A well fashioned lamp was placed on the edge of a polished oak desk, emitting an artificial glow that lit up whatever dark corners that the fire could not reach. Positioned the head of said desk was the headmaster, Kaien Cross, whose long golden hair and corresponding placid amber gaze told of his kind and relaxed nature. Kaname had sat across from him, his white uniform, as per usual, was prim and perfectly buttoned, without a single wrinkle or stray thread in sight. Wearing a serious expression upon his face, the vampire stared composedly at the older man with a set of piercing maroon eyes, his features hard and unflinching.

"I know how hard it is for you to spare your time on such short notice," Kaien spoke, his face atypically serious. The man is quite often seen sporting such a ludicrous grin on his face that it seemed almost alien for him to wear anything but, though Kaien was also one to know when to brush joking matters aside.

"Unfortunately I can't stay very long," Kaname said apologetically as he crossed one leg over the other, his hands gripping the armrests on either side of his seat. Admittedly, he had been quite curious as to why the headmaster had called him in that evening. He never usually requested for a meeting unless it was important; his days of doing otherwise have diminished since Yuki had matured and learned how to dress and take care of herself.

Kaien inhaled deeply and leaned forward on his chair, his fingers laced together as he rested his elbows against the surface of the desk. "I have been asked a very important favor by the association and I need to run a couple of things by you before carrying through with it," he said quietly. "As you may already know, the hunters bloodline was started many centuries ago by a pureblood," Kaien began, gazing at Kaname through his glasses and watched as the vampire nodded slowly in confirmation.

"A woman who gave away her life so that humans could have a fighting chance against the vampires that preyed on them," he said simply. "She tossed her heart into a pit of molten metal so they could wrought weapons, and allowed them to drink her blood to gain strength."

"That is correct," Kaien nodded in return, with a sigh. "Actually, the association has come up with a way to resurrect her," he stated plainly, expecting surprise from his guest, but instead, was greeted by an emotionless face.

"For what purpose?"

Kaien leaned back against his chair, his arms crossing over his chest in a more casual manner as he let out another sigh. He closed his eyes in contemplation. "They feel that given her history, despite being a vampire, she would make a good leader for the hunters association. I can't really say whether or not I agree with this idea, but I don't have a place among them anymore, so I don't have a right to say what is and isn't good for the association."

"It seems a little presumptuous," Kaname remarked, his expression never shifting, though he was beginning to think how ironic the whole situation was; given his history with the topic at hand. "Her actions and behavior would be unpredictable. It's not something I would advise doing."

"Though it's already been done," the headmaster stated, earning a raised eyebrow from the pureblood. "She's not quite ready to take on the position of being the association's head just yet, and they've asked me to look after her. There are still some biased opinions among the hunters and they feel that the safest place for her to be right now is within the academy."

"So what is it you need from me exactly?"

"I'd like to enlist her into the Night Class," he said simply. "It would be good for her understand the social structure of the vampires today as I'm sure a lot has changed since she had last walked the earth," Kaien glanced out the window as he spoke, the cold glass displaying a clear night sky. He then cracked a smile. "That and Zero might get a tad bit grumpy if I placed a vampire into the Day Class, don't you think?" he let out a small cackle, the thought greatly amusing him. Quickly, the headmaster composed himself, clearing his throat and straightening out his posture on the chair. "Besides, I don't think she would give you much trouble. I met her earlier today and she seemed quite collected, though very tired. She apparently needs to sleep for a large portion of the day."

"That's common," said Kaname, rising to his feet. "It's a side effect most frequent when purebloods haven't been resurrected properly," he stated, though he can't really say he understood the feeling. He was fortunate enough to have been brought back using proper methods, and because of that, he never experienced the pain, hunger, and exhaustion others in the small selected group have gone through. He may have Rido to _'thank'_ for that. "Proceed with whatever you need to do," he told him plainly as he straightened his uniform blazer. "I have nothing to say against it. Do what you feel is best."

Kaien nodded slowly as he began to pull himself up from his chair, his hands tightening the knitted green shawl that wrapped around his shoulders and pulled the garment closer to his body. "I thank you for your support. To tell you the truth, I don't know where I can put her if you had said otherwise," he chuckled unenthusiastically as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Shall I see you out?"

"There's really no need to trouble yourself," Kaname waved as he began to head towards the door. "I can find my own way out. Good night," he promptly added before disappearing to the other side of the door and shutting it fully. He closed his eyes and sighed. "Interesting," he mumbled quietly to himself and began to make his way down the hall. This sudden turn of events is certainly inconvenient. He'll have to return to his chess game and reevaluate a few things.


	3. Chapter III: Arrival to Cross Academy

_Author's note: Left you guys with a bit of a cliffhanger~! Enjoy and don't forget to fav and review if you get the chance!_

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><p>She was tired. Her exhaustion was apparent as she slouched back against the seat of this moving contraption she only just recently learned to be a car, a heavy breath of air heaving from her lungs while her weary eyes glanced into the direction of the window. Silently, she watched the trees and unfamiliar buildings pass by through the cold glass, staring dryly at the fleeting scenery that was enclosed by a canopy of smoky clouds. Recently, everything had been so hard to fathom. The world that was so familiar to her had been knocked into extinction, and in its place, stood new structure; laws, social order, and customs that, by her, were unheard of. Her eyes quietly drifted closed, somehow finding the small bumps and the subtle rocking of the vehicle quite soporific. She carelessly combed her fingers through her long hair, pushing back stray pieces that were so light that it almost could be mistaken for cream. It was apparent to her that her own body was weak. The blood they had used to resurrect her was enough to bring her back to a physical moving form, but was not sufficient in restoring any strength or abilities she once had. In a way, she almost felt human.<p>

Her eyes slowly opened as she felt the car slow down to a halt. She pushed herself upright to get a better view out the window, being greeted by the sight of familiar architecture. A large fortress with stone walls and arched windows that she could only assume to be this 'Cross Academy' that she was told of by the people of the association. Her attention was then forced upon the unusually cheerful face of a golden-haired man who was knocking on the corner of the window and waving his hand furiously in greeting. She blinked for a moment in confusion.

"Hello!" he called, his words slightly muffled from the barrier between them before he moved to point an index finger at himself in an excited manner. "You remember me, don't you? It's me, Kaien Cross! I came to greet you!" he chirped, his jovial nature bizarre to her. She had recalled meeting him a couple of days prior to arriving, and also remembered how he had been the first and only smiling face she had ever encountered in her entire week of being alive. Without warning, the door was forced open and the cool air began to flood into the cavity of the vehicle. He seemed more chipper than he had been when she had first met him through the association.

She slowly nodded. "Yes, I remember you," she responded, slowly sliding out of the car, dragging along a modest brown suitcase that contained a few necessities that bad been provided her with for her stay.

"Alright, let's get you settled in then!" he smiled and motioned for her to follow him as he started to trot down the cobblestone pathway. "I had my daughter bring a fresh uniform to your room earlier this morning. You will be staying in the Moon Dorm, and I'm sure my lovely little Night Class students will make you feel quite welcome," he beamed. "The objective of Cross Academy is to one day have vampires and humans coexist peacefully amongst each other, " he began, glancing back at her to make sure that he isn't walking too fast; he had quite a habit of doing that sometimes. "All the vampires here hold that very same belief, and you might find this place to be rather peaceful compared to what's outside these walls. All I ask from you is that you keep the fact you're vampire to yourself," he said and tossed her a wink, waving his index finger in front of his lips. "The Day Class students are very much oblivious to your existence, so for now, let's not scare them and keep that little detail to ourselves."

Kimiko nodded once more as he spoke to show that she understood. She could already sense the strong presence of other vampires in the vicinity, and it was only then that she came to the realization that this was the first she will be encountering more of her kind since being awake. She remembered other vampires to be such formidable, cold creatures, though there was one that would always be the exception.

"Excellent," he chimed before making a sharp turn, leading her down a long path towards an elegant building where the presence only grew stronger. "Your dorm leader will also be happy to answer any questions you may have if I'm not around to do so. With that said, don't hesitate to ask me anything!" he threw her a genuinely kind smile as they neared the large building. "You've been put in a very overwhelming situation, and I'm sure that all of these things must be new and very strange to you. It's part of my job here is to make sure that all of my students are comfortable and well looked after, so again, if there is any questions or problems that need to be addressed, I'm always here," he grinned before his attention was thrown back to the front steps of the Moon Dorm, his eyes lighting up with recognition. "Speaking of your Dorm Leader, there he is. Good afternoon, Kaname!"

"Yuki told me that I should be expecting you two."


End file.
